BES beats inflation, builds the future

The Private Pension System (BES), which had a very modest start in 2003, has become Turkey's strongest savings bastion today. The analysis conducted by Katılım Emeklilik on sector data shows that the system has reached a remarkable point not only in terms of total fund size and number of participants, but also in terms of the impact it has on individuals' long-term financial planning. The system started with limited participants in its first years; Today, it has turned into a giant ecosystem with the number of participants exceeding 10 million and the fund size exceeding 2.4 trillion TL. By offering investment opportunities with a wide variety of funds such as stocks and foreign exchange, as well as commodities such as gold and silver, BES makes investors happy by providing returns above inflation every year.

From contribution margin to dreams of the future: The language of numbers

BES has transformed savings from "money left over at the end of the month" into a priority investment discipline that is planned at the beginning of the income. The state contribution, which is the biggest trump card of the system, adds a significant starting advantage to the participant's journey. When a 20% state contribution is added to the 5,000 TL monthly contribution of a participant who is included in the system today, the annual savings of 60 thousand TL reaches 72 thousand TL within a year. This figure goes even higher with the fund return.  When this journey spans a 20-year perspective, the power of mathematics is felt much more clearly. While the total principal deposited at the end of 20 years was around 1.5 million TL; With the influence of state contribution and professional fund management, total savings can reach over 3 million TL. The most striking part is this: 50% to 65% of the total savings consists of the return generated by the system over time, not the amount directly deposited by the participant.

Katılım Emeklilik General Manager Ayhan Sincek, drawing attention to the importance of BES in terms of long-term planning, said, "The most powerful part of BES is that it enables small and regular steps to turn into a large financial return over time. The earlier the participants are included in the system and the longer they protect their savings, the effect provided by the state contribution and fund returns. "For this reason, we see BES not only as a retirement savings but also as a long-term savings model that supports individuals' future plans in a disciplined manner." Thanks to the power of compound returns, there can be a savings difference of up to 60% in retirement between a participant who enters the system at the age of 30 and someone who enters the system at the age of 40.

The effect of the search for a safe haven in the fund preferences of the participants also draws attention. Gold funds maintain their first place with a size of 1.059 billion TL. When 10-year returns are examined, it is seen that gold participation funds perform at 5.347 percent. While stock funds continue to be among the preferences of investors aiming for long-term growth; Money market funds are the third category that stands out for participants in need of liquidity.

Retirement dreams are now a concrete reality

BES has gone beyond being just a system for savings and has reached a mature structure that delivers the right to retirement. The fact that the number of people using their retirement rights is approaching 500 thousand as of March 2026 clearly demonstrates the stage the system has reached.

The interest of families continues to increase on the BES side for children. There are more than 2 million participants in BES under the age of 18. This table shows that the tendency of families to systematically secure their children's future starting from pre-school and primary school period is getting stronger.

Ayhan Sincek stated that the increasing interest in BES for children is valuable in terms of long-term financial awareness and said, "Families starting to save on behalf of their children at an early age is not only a financial preparation, but also the transfer of savings awareness between generations. BES for children offers a strong starting ground for many goals, from education to future life plans.""We believe that the growth in this field will further strengthen the long-term savings culture in Turkey," he said.

In summary; today, BES is not just a savings plan, but the most concrete example of how small savings can turn into great financial freedom over time. This 23-year experience shows that every journey that continues with stability increases its value exponentially in the right system.

Participation Pension increased its capital to 1 billion TL

The system This growth momentum is also supported by the strength in the financial structure of the institutions. Katılım Emeklilik confirmed the trust it offers to its participants and its unshakable place in the sector with a historical capital increase. The company's paid-in capital of 72,000,000 TL increased to 1,000,000,000 TL, fully covered from dividends (internal resources). With this move, Katılım Emeklilik ranked first in the Life and Emeklilik Participation Sector and quickly rose to the top in the general insurance sector.

Evaluating the capital increase and the development of the system, Katılım Emeklilik General Manager Ayhan Sincek expressed his satisfaction with the point BES has reached with the following words: "The Private Pension System has proven its maturity by becoming Türkiye's most established and reliable savings mechanism in 23 years. We clearly see with the numbers how the small savings of our participants turn into great financial power with professional management. As Katılım Emeklilik, we increased our paid-in capital to 1 billion TL in order to be worthy of this trust. While we reinforce our leadership in the interest-free pension sector with this historic capital move, we continue to support our participants' future dreams with the strongest financial structure. This financial ecosystem of BES, which deepens every year, is the greatest guarantee for the future of both our individuals and our country's economy."